HOUSTON -- Houston’s Chinatown is under siege by bold and brazen robbers who are targeting victims in public places in broad daylight.
Elected officials and law enforcement officers met before a crowd of hundreds of neighbors and business owners Saturday afternoon at the Chinese Community Center.
“We understand that this community is suffering from a plague of criminals,” said Harris County district attorney Kim Ogg. “You have our attention and we are here to help.”
Burglaries have decreased but robberies have increased in the Chinatown area, according to police.
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Police have seen a spike in the crime known as “jugging,” where victims stopping at a bank or ATM are watched and then followed back to their homes and robbed.
Police also say they have observed more “sliders.” Sliding is when a victim is pre-occupied for only a few moments, such as someone stopping at a service station to pump gas, and while the person is distracted a thief will steal a wallet or purse from inside of the victim’s car.
Dramatic video of the day-time robberies was shown on a projector before the hundreds of attendees.
The video shows thieves grabbing the purses of shoppers in parking lots heading to their cars.
